An organic EL element generally comprises an anode electrode and cathode electrode, and an electron-injection layer, light emission layer, and hole-injection layer formed between the electrodes. An organic EL element emits light using the energy generated when holes supplied from the hole-injection layer and electrons supplied from the electron-injection layer are recoupled in the light emission layer. Such EL elements are used as a display device as disclosed in Patent Literature 1. They are driven, for example, by TFTs (thin film transistors) provided thereto individually.
Such a display device is subject to aging or lighting test before shipment in which a testing apparatus is connected to their driver connection terminals on the panel via probes before or after the driver ICs (integrated circuits) are mounted (Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2001-195012).
If the aging or lighting test is conducted after the driver ICs are mounted as in the prior art and any defect is found, the device cannot be shipped as a finished product and the mounted driver ICs are wasted.
On the other hand, making the (several hundred) driver connection terminals on the panel fully contact with a testing device using probes before the driver ICs are mounted leads to high cost of the probes themselves. Additionally, the probes create a large load upon making contact with the panel (for example, 4 g per probe and several kg in total). A rigid contact jig is required and the jig itself becomes accordingly expensive.
Furthermore, the aging or lighting test can be conducted by simplified driving such as short-circuiting between the terminals before the driver ICs are mounted. In this way, some limitation may be imposed on the test items.
Therefore, there is a demand for a drive circuit array substrate allowing for tests without mounting all driver ICs and without using many expensive panel contact jigs, and production and test methods thereof.
The present invention is made in view of the above problems and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a drive circuit array substrate allowing for tests without mounting all driver ICs and without using many expensive panel contact jigs, and production and tests methods thereof.